Toy roundabout



oct. 11, 1927. 11,644,933

L. MARX TOY 4ROUNDABCNJT Filed Aprn 1o. 1925 2 sheets-sheet lcil.

l 22 12 2| 7 qu i 25 I8 "a "Zw'nl 3.0 -l

lo l" v h s 242 I'Ol A Z8' l l i f 1 252 3o INVENTOR Louisl Marx BY g A ORNEYS c 11 1927 L. MARX 1,644,933

TOY ROUNDABOUT Filed April 10. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mijn@ INVENTOR Lows Marx BY/ Z A ORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1927.

U NIT EFD 5S '.l`

retrasav LoUrs MARX, or BROOKLYN, new Yoan.

'ro-Y i ROUNDABOUT.

any of a variety offactions such as a cycle or' automobile race and the like.

Mechanica-Hy operated toys of the-type referred-to are noW-Vtvelllrnown, and generally comprise aplatform formed of a central dislr-like member and an annular member surrounding the'same, the'annular spacebetween the ymembersdefining'a circular orbit or path in which the operated figure or ures isor are adapted to travel, such -Aigures being connected vby .means concealed by .said plat-form to a motorfyvhich is usually arranged centrally of said platform. In these 4constructions the annular member is em- .ployedto support the central disk-like mem- .Aber so as to space the .same from a supporting plane tofpermit unhindered operation of the motor mechanism, and the said annular member is connected tothe .central platform member by various means such as a plurality of arch-shaped .members The manufacture .of these mechanically operated toys is accompanied by anumber of difliculties resulting from and incident to the manner in which the Various members 'are assembled in accordancewith the principles heretofore practiced. .To obtain amore -or less rugged construction, the annular Vmember surrounding the central platform member Vmust-be connected thereto ina rigid mannerso that all `the partsmay vbeheld in mutually supportedrelation, and Wherethe toy is `assembled.automatically and manufactured `by quantity production methods, .it Tis amatter of great difficulty to .obtain astructure which Will withstand moderately lrough usage. Moreover, because 'of the inherent construction of .the toy, .the .movable toy iigures travel Within the annular space and .do

not fimpart .that closesimulation to the imitated action which Ais .most desired. Furthermore, the number of parts ofthe toy is .comparatively large for the action desired -to Lbe produced, .and the cost of .the vnumber of dies .employed in the .manufacture ofthe toy, well as the cost of assembling the parts, is reflected in the increased selling .price ofthe assembled toy.

A .prime vdesideratum of my present in yenticn., therefore,- comprehends the previ;

`p arts broken Y away.v

action to be simulated, and am t t ne i 21, .the platform is yee Application filed -A'pril 10, v1925. Serial-No. 22,015.`

sion of an improvedtoy oft-hecharacter re ferredto, in which these disadvantages in construction, mode of manufacture-anchoa eration of the toy are effectively eliminated, the invention comprehending =more specilr cally the provision ofanimproved. mechanically operated .toy 'of this Ytype inxvhic'h [the annular' 'member -and, the supporting means therefor fare eliminated, and in nihichrthe movable toy figureV is .relatedorfassociated with. the stationary platform in. 4a Way. to effect a very closev simulation jof lthe action which is desired to be imitated. Asthetlescriptionko'fjth'e invention proceeds, .it fvvill be apparent to those skilled inthe art that by means of my improvements, the nurriloerfofy Y.parts of the toy are reduced, with aconsequent reduction in thenumber ofvdi'es'einployed, and 'the' remaining ,parts ofthe tey are so inter-related orr associated asto pro# d-uce a strong, rugged `and durable toy"whichv be manulfacturedfand soldat comparatively lovv cost. fr To the .accomplishinentfofthe foregoing and s uchv other objects as ymay hereinafter appear, my invention consistsl in. thedele-l ments fand theirrelation one-tothe other,

.as hereinafter `particiilarly described `and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to vthe accompanying drawings which show ,preferred embodiments of `Iny. invention, and in Which: v

Fig. /1 is an elevatie'nal View y-/vithparts shown in section of 'my invention l showing the same .in one'em'bodimentthereof,4 Fig. 2 is a A broken favvay,l l.

Fig. 3 is an elevational v ievv Withhparts fbrolr'en away showing another embodiment of the 'invent-ion, and l lFig. .4, is a plan view; ofthe same ylteferrin'g non7 Amore in det'ailito the draw ings, Vand having particular reference xfirst to Figures Vl and 2 thereof, 'the improved toy embodying the principles of myfinventinn. comprises a circular platform defining a stage upon .'Whieh the desired lac'ti'cn 4isto/fbe produced, the said platform .being proided With acentrallyarranged motor 11 vs hichfis plan vietvthereof parts v encased in .or contained` by a mctor"flious.y

ing '12. -The platform 10` maybe given bodiinentof the invention h Vand is contoured to simulate a racing bowl Y a grand sta-nd andthe spectators therein.

" VThelnotor 11 may compriseany suitable construction well known to thoseA skilledin theart, andfor purposesof illustration is shown tov consist of a spring motor -13 sup-` ported on a bracket 14,which latter is fixed to the`platform 10, thesaid spring motor Y being connected at itsoppositeends toa stop ratchet 15 and a gear 16, the gear being fixed to a drum orpcylinder 17 which is `unitary with a winding shaft, 18, said shaft being adapted to receiveja Awinding key for enerf gizing the motor. f. lThe gear 16 is connected bymeans of a simple gear train generally designated as 19 to a central driven shaft 20, which shaft projects through the pl`atform 10 for connection to the operated members, as will be described presently. l1t will Y y thereto.

be apparent that when the springmotor is energized, the shaft 20willbe rotated to impart motion to the members "connected in the embodiment Shows in rigs. i mi e of the drawings, a cycle race is simulated,

and to this end aplurality of toy cyclist figures 21, 22 and 23' are provided, which figures, preferably madeof sheet metal, are

arranged soas to be movable on or o'verthe platform 10 in ka circular orbit or path actuated by the rotation of themotor shaft or spindle 20, the said figures being connected to the said motor shaftby means of preferabl radially arranged spider arms 211, 25 andr 26 underlying the platform 10 and concealed thereby.

To effect a close simulation of the racing" Y action, it is desirable -that the moving toy figures 21, 22 and 28 be made to travel on or over the platform in apath or orbit spaced inwardly of the periphery or rim 10 of the platform, and to this end each of the spider arms forming the connecting means between the gure's and the motor shaft extends underneath the y platform from the drive shaft to the rim Vof theplatform andV then upwardly andinwardly about the rim of the Vplatform to its associated toy figure. the spider arm 24 comprising, i for example, a

60 horizontalsection24J`underlying the platform, a short vertical section 242, anda short inwardly directed horizontal section 243 bent around the rim 10. of the platform 10, the

section 243 being fixed" to the toy ,figure 21 andpreferablyinl a. mannerto move the saine without physically contacting vthe floor of the platform. The other arms 25 and 26 are. similarlyconstructed, and are designated by similar Areference characters.

The platform 10 and its associated parts are supported in a suspended position so as ing legs 28,29 and 30 which may be connected eitherto the platform 10 or to the motor housing 12, the latter being shown in the drawings, the said "legs being archshaped as shown and provided with `foot portions such as 28 and 30 adapted toengage the supporting surface 27.

By. means ofl this construction, it will be apparent that I am enabled to ruggedly associate the operated toy figures with the operatingmotor to produce-.a strong and durable toy, and that the parts of the toy may `be effectively reduced without sacrificing the desired action or the manner of sup- Y Vporting the parts o f the same.'

.Referring now tov Figs and i of'the drawings, l show another embodiment of the invention 'in which a train of cars is Lcaused to travel in a givenl circular path in simulation ofthe movement 0f the train over the track rails. In this yembodiment of the invention, the platform also comprises V a disk-shaped member 30a having centrally arranged thereon a motor housing 31-containing a motor (not shown), which motor has a winding shaft 32 and a centrally arranged driven spindle or shaft 33, the latter being connected toV a toy train of cars 34 by means of a connecting member eX- tending underneath the platform from the drive shaft 33` to'V the rim of the platform, and then extending upwardly and inwardly abqut the rim of the platform to the train of cars 34 in a manner similar to that heretofore described. The motor housing 31 maybe given a configuration and may be ornamented to simulate a railroad station, and the surface of the platform 8O maybe decorated inv consonance therewith, the same being provided Awith simulated track rails 36, 36 which may form part of the/ornamentation. i

For supporting the platform 30 and its associated parts, archshaped leg members 37, 38 Vand 39 may be provided similar to those heretofore described, these arch-shaped leg members being provided with foot portions such as 37 and 39 at their lower ends, and being connected at their upper ends to the motor housing 31. "Desirably'v the arch-shaped leg members are` contoured to simulate tunnels or bridges through which'the train of cars is moved.

The manner of making and using the vimproved toy embodying the principles of my invention, and the advantages thereof, will 1 in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that While I have shown my invention in the preferred embodiments, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention., defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A mechanically operated toy comprising a circular platform having an outer free periphery or rim, a toy figure arranged to travel on said platform in a circular path or orbit spaced inwardly of the periphery or rim of the platform, a motor carried by and arranged centrally of said platform, means connecting said motor with said figure for causing the figure to travel in its orbit when the motor is in an energized state, said connecting means extending underneath the platform from the motor to the rim of the platform and then upwardly `and inwardly about the rim of the platform to the toy figure,and means for suspendedly supporting the platform and the parts carried thereby, the said last mentioned supporting means comprising a plurality of arch-shaped legs connected to the upper side of said platform.

2. A mechanically operated toy comprising` a disk-shaped circular' platform defining a track, a vehicle toy figure arranged to travel on said platform in a circular path or orbit, a motor housing and motor carried by and arranged centrally of said platform, means underlying said platform connecting the motor with said vehicle figure for causing the latter to travel in its orbit when the motor is in an energized state, and means for suspendedly supporting the' platform and its associated parts in a position elevated or raised from a supporting surface,

the said supporting means comprising avplurality of arch-shaped legs fixed to said mo` tor housing and contoured to simulate tunnels or the like.

3. A mechanically operated toy comprising a circular platform having an outer free periphery or rim, a toy figure arranged to travel on said platform in a circular path or orbit defined by the said outer free periphery or rim, a motor carried by and arranged centrally of said platform, an arm underneath said platform having a part bent about said periphery, lsaid arm con'- necting said motor with said figure for causing the ligure to travel in its orbit when the motor is in an energized state, and means for suspendedly supporting the platform and the parts carried thereby, said sup`prting means comprising a plurality of legs con# nected to the upper side of said platform and defining arches through which the figure travels.

Ll. A mechanically operated toy comprising a circular platform, a toy figure arranged to travel on said platform in a circular path or orbit, a motor carried by and arranged centrally of said platform, a'motor housing for said motor, means connecting said motor With said figure for causing the figure to travel in its orbit when the motor is in an energized state, and means for suspendedly supporting the platform and its associated parts in a position elevated or raised from a supporting surface, lthe said supporting means comprising a plurality of legs fixed to said motor housing and delining arch members through vvhich the ligure travels. v

Signed at New York city, in the county of NeviT York and State of New Yo-rk, this 6th day of April, A. D. 1925.

LOUIS MARX. 

